Alabama senator plans to file to consolidate occupational boards

The Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery, Alabama, as seen on January 24, 2023. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector)

An Alabama senator is planning to file a bill that would change the oversight structure of occupational boards in the state.

The draft legislation, to be filed by Sen. Chris Elliott, R-Josephine, would create an Office of Occupational and Professional Licensing within the Department of Labor. The executive director of the office would oversee some of the administrative work that is done by occupational boards currently.

“The goal is to streamline the administrative functions of the board,” Elliott said Monday. “So I’m not changing a board. I’m not changing the makeup of the board. And I’m not trying to change any of the regulations or rules promulgated by the board.”

According to a chart provided by Elliott, boards would be moved into different phases for the consolidation. Some boards are being moved under different departments, such as the Sickle Cell Oversight & Regulatory Commission to the Alabama Department of Public Health.

Sen Chris Elliott, R-Josephine, speaks to a colleague on the floor of the Alabama Senate at the Alabama Statehouse on Feb. 20, 2024 in Montgomery, Alabama. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector)

Elliott provided the Reflector with a transition chart and a breakdown of which boards are in which phase. Some Phase I boards include the Board of Examiners of Assisted Living Administrators; the Alabama Athletic Commission and the Alabama Board of Massage Therapy, which would be tied to the executive director by Oct. 1, 2025.

Elliott said the bill came from his experience on the Contract Review Committee and with sunset bills, or legislation to extend the life of state boards and agencies after a certain period of time. Elliott said he had concerns about some of the for-profit entities that work with some of the boards.

“I saw some some very concerning ways in which these these boards are operated and administered up to and including a lot of for-profit entities out there that are administering these boards and watching the financials of those gave me some concern, and so we thought we would try to start consolidating some of those, and that has ballooned really into what we have now before us,” he said.

He said worked with the legal team in Gov. Kay Ivey’s office on the bill, as well as with the Legislative Services Agency in the State House.

“Since taking office, Governor Ivey has sought ways to make state government more efficient, more accountable and more transparent,” wrote Gina Maiola, spokesperson for Ivey in a Tuesday statement. “If done properly, consolidating the array of state regulatory boards would help accomplish these goals. This bill has the governor’s approval, and if approved by the Legislature, she plans to sign it into law.”

Elliott said this differs from current sunset law because sunset is more of a review of legal compliance. He said review in this process is more looking at the need for a particular board.

The Alabama Legislature is on spring break, as of Friday. Elliott said he plans to have the bill in committee the week it returns.

This story was updated Tuesday with a comment from the Governor’s Office.

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